Amazon Is Eliminating List Prices

[GtrsRGr8]

Amazon is quietly eliminating list prices. That according to a New York Times article dated last Sunday and published yesterday. According to the article, Amazon is and will be showing one price, we can take it or leave it.

Amazon is doing this, in part, because of dozens of lawsuits by consumers related to discounting practices.

I haven't noticed this change yet with regards to ebooks, or anything else for that matter, at Amazon, but it seems that we will be seeing the change soon if we haven't already.

You can read the article--a very interesting one--here, on The New York Times' website.

At least in the USA, it is not uncommon for retailers to show a bogus list price, usually highly inflated, along with their actual so-called sale price. It is a lame attempt to convince the consumer that they are getting a big discount price. Marking the "list price" up 20% above what most retailers are selling an item for is not a true list price by any means, and only the truly gullible will buy into that (pun intended). We have also seen the list price called MSRP in years past, wherein that means "manufacturer's suggested retail price." It is just marketing bull scatterings.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by jswinden

At least in the USA, it is not uncommon for retailers to show a bogus list price, usually highly inflated, along with their actual so-called sale price. It is a lame attempt to convince the consumer that they are getting a big discount price. Marking the "list price" up 20% above what most retailers are selling an item for is not a true list price by any means, and only the truly gullible will buy into that (pun intended). We have also seen the list price called MSRP in years past, wherein that means "manufacturer's suggested retail price." It is just marketing bull scatterings.

Maybe that's the rationale for the consumer lawsuits.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by jswinden

At least in the USA, it is not uncommon for retailers to show a bogus list price, usually highly inflated, along with their actual so-called sale price. It is a lame attempt to convince the consumer that they are getting a big discount price. Marking the "list price" up 20% above what most retailers are selling an item for is not a true list price by any means, and only the truly gullible will buy into that (pun intended). We have also seen the list price called MSRP in years past, wherein that means "manufacturer's suggested retail price." It is just marketing bull scatterings.

There are laws governing that in the UK. In order to display an "X% Off" label, the item has to have been sold at the higher price for a period of at least 30 days.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by jswinden

At least in the USA, it is not uncommon for retailers to show a bogus list price, usually highly inflated, along with their actual so-called sale price. It is a lame attempt to convince the consumer that they are getting a big discount price. Marking the "list price" up 20% above what most retailers are selling an item for is not a true list price by any means, and only the truly gullible will buy into that (pun intended). We have also seen the list price called MSRP in years past, wherein that means "manufacturer's suggested retail price." It is just marketing bull scatterings.

20% is low. In my industry it is nothing to see corporate chains marking items up 600% and then having a 50 percent off sale.
Apache

[DiapDealer]

Wouldn't bother me in the least to see the imaginary-price-no-one-ever-actually-pays go away.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There are laws governing that in the UK. In order to display an "X% Off" label, the item has to have been sold at the higher price for a period of at least 30 days.

Similar in California for 'Off our Regular Price' ads

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There are laws governing that in the UK. In order to display an "X% Off" label, the item has to have been sold at the higher price for a period of at least 30 days.

Only, I believe, if you are calling it a sale.
Absolutely no problem legally with x% off list price.

So, on a random example
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/..._rd_i=79903031

Bath Tap
List - £222.38
Selling Price - £135.16
You Save - £87.22 (39%)

This is perfectly legal in the UK as it is not classed as a sale item. As long as they don't actually put a notice on this item saying "Sale 39% off" they skirt around the rules to look like a good deal when it isn't.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

Only, I believe, if you are calling it a sale.
Absolutely no problem legally with x% off list price.

So, on a random example
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/..._rd_i=79903031

Bath Tap
List - £222.38
Selling Price - £135.16
You Save - £87.22 (39%)

This is perfectly legal in the UK as it is not classed as a sale item. As long as they don't actually put a notice on this item saying "Sale 39% off" they skirt around the rules to look like a good deal when it isn't.

Thanks for clarifying that, Mike.

[DrNefario]

Agency ebooks all seem to show something resembling the paperback price as the "List Price" in the UK. It's basically worthless, but I would like to know what the regular selling price is when there's a sale on.

If you place an Amazon item in your wish list and leave it there a while, if the price drops below what it was when placed in the wish list then they will indicate how much of a savings you can get. For example:

$11.99
Price dropped 14% (was $13.99 when added to List)

This practice is rather good and I wish it extended to all items listed rather than just wish lists.

But I think the "list price" practice, as I said typical to USA marketing, is total bull scatterings. However I don't believe in legislating against it. If someone is dumb enough to fall for it, and many are, then so be it. You cannot legislate stupidity. It is pretty easy to compare prices these days with a search engine and the internet.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by jswinden

If you place an Amazon item in your wish list and leave it there a while, if the price drops below what it was when placed in the wish list then they will indicate how much of a savings you can get. For example:

Luzme will do this for you across a number of different stores (defined by you).

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by jswinden

At least in the USA, it is not uncommon for retailers to show a bogus list price, usually highly inflated, along with their actual so-called sale price. It is a lame attempt to convince the consumer that they are getting a big discount price.

It's normal in the Netherlands as well. Often, they list the MRSP (Manufacturer's Recommended Sales Price), but apart from some prices that are enforced by manufacturers (such as Kawaii digital piano's, or Nord instruments), I have never ever seen something sold at the actual MRSP.

[markbot]

In the US there are laws on advertising sales where the item has to be sold at the regular price for a time period as well. it can't always be on sale. However, the list price is the "recommended price" from the manufacturer and it could be any number. They create this fictitious number in order to help sell books...at retail, consumers erroneously think that they are getting a deal when in reality they are not.

On the back of the book or DVD it might list a price of $49.99, or some other made up number, and then the item will be sold by the retailer for "only" $19.99. Yay, $30 savings! This practice is very annoying and borderline dishonest. A company like Amazon should not do this cheap trick that only catches children and fools.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by markbot

On the back of the book or DVD it might list a price of $49.99, or some other made up number, and then the item will be sold by the retailer for "only" $19.99. Yay, $30 savings! This practice is very annoying and borderline dishonest. A company like Amazon should not do this cheap trick that only catches children and fools.

The vast majority of books in B&M bookshops in the UK are sold at the cover price.